Portable placer for concrete and the like



April 1952 R. c. HACKLEY PORTABLE PLACER FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1948 A ril 22, 1952 R. c. HACKLEY 2,593,555

PORTABLE PLACER FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed 001;. 27, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 AT'TORNEY dicating the use of a large machine.

Patented Apr. 22, 1952 PORTABLE PLACER FOB CONCRETE AND THE LIKE- Roy 0. Hackley, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 27, 1948, Serial No. 56,857

4 Claims. 214-8328) This invention relates to portable placers for concrete and the like, or cement guns and similar devices comprising a tank which is adapted to be substantially filled with concrete or other material, transported to the place where the material is to be used, and from which the material is then discharged by the action of compressed air. Portable concrete placers, or cement guns, of this type have numerous uses, among which is the placing of concrete linings in tunnels, subways, and like structures.

Where tunnels are comparatively small in diameter, and wherein only a single trackway may be provided, the portable concrete placer which supplies and places the tunnel lining is usually loaded with concrete at a point which is outside of the tunnel; after which it is run into the tunnel on the trackway to the point where the lining is then being placed. This situation presents many difiiculties. Manifestly, it is more eflicient to transport as large a quantity of concrete or other material as possible, thereby in- However, it is obvious that as the size of the machine (or more correctly, its tank, or container) increases,

so, too, does the difiiculty with which its contents are discharged.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide, a portable placer for concrete and the like, which is characterized by very high efficiency in transporting large quantities of concrete and other materials.

Another object is the transportation of a large volume of concrete and the like in a tank (or container) from which it may be very easily discharged.

Still another object is the attainment of the foregoing by the use of a combination of elements which makes the portable concrete placer,

-or cement gun, comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and use, and one which is rugged and durable in service.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail an illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of but one of a number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings: a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved portable placer for concrete and the like, the dotted lines representing the position the tank or container is intended to assume When its contents are being discharged;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view; and

Figure 3 is a perspective, partly in section, and illustrating the manner of applying to the tank or container the closure and actuating mechanism therefor which are described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,227,712, dated January '7, 1941.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the tank, or container, of the portable concrete placer of the present invention, the same being horizontally disposed and having an egg-shaped cross section with the narrow portion disposed downwardly.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, the tank 2 is disposed between a pair of longitudinally extending and parallel frame members 4 which are connected at the rear by a transverse frame member 5. Mounted atop the longitudinal frame members 4 are a pair of transversely aligned blocks 1, each of which supports a horizontally extending pin 8, the latter being pivotally associated with members 9 which are attached to, and depend from, adjacent portions of the outside of the tank. As shown most clearly in Figure l, the longitudinal disposition of the blocks 1 with respect to the frame members 4 is approximately of the distance from the front ends of the latter toward the rearward ends thereof, whereby the tank 2 is pivoted for tilting movement at these points.

The longitudinally extending and parallel frame members 4 and the transversely extending rear frame member 5 (and, accordingly, the tank, or container 2) are carried by a wheeled truck I2 which rolls on a suitable trackway between the point at which the portable concrete placer 2 may be filled and the point from which its contents are to be discharged.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2, within the bottom of the substantially egg-shaped tank 2 there is disposed a stepped, or upwardly tiered. and superposed series of pipes l5, l6 and 11, the lower pipe It extending substantially the full length of the tank, with the pipe of intermediate elevation extending substantially midwaythereof, and the highest pipe ll projecting only a short distance thereinto, as shown.

The rearward ends of the stepped, or upwardly tiered, superposed pipes l5, l6 and I1 project from the rear wall of the tank, or container, 2 and connect with a horizontally extending manifold I9 through the medium of vertically extending connecting pipes 20, 2| and 22, respectively.

The -manifold I9 is connected with a suitable source of air and, through the vertically extending connecting pipes 20, 2| and 22, supplies the stepped, or upwardly tiered, pipes E5, E6 and I1, respectively, with compressed air, the result being to efiect the rapid and complete movement of the content of the tank, or container, 2 toward the forward end thereof.

According to the teachings of the present invention, the forward wall of the tank, or container, 2 is for the most part substantially straight, with the lower end thereof provided with a pair of upper and lower convergent wall members 25 and 2B, the latter extending vertically at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the bottom of the tank. Preferably, but not necessarily, the upper wall member 25 converges toward the lower wall member 26 at approximately the same angle.

The upper and lower convergent wall members 25 and 26 of the forward wall of the tank, or container, 2 merge into a spout or discharge orifice 30, the axis of which extends vertically at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal. This spout 36 is provided with a gate valve 35 which is operated through an operating handle 36.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that the tank, or container, 2 may be tilted in such manner as to raise its rearward end approximately 30 to thereby permit the spout 35 to assume a substantially horizontal line at a point which may be connected with a discharge line through which the concrete is to be forced. When in this position, the compressed air which is supplied to the stepped or vertically tiered pipes l5, l and H in the bottom of the tank will effectively discharge substantially all of the contents.

For tilting the tank or container 2 in the aforesaid manner, an air Jack 41] is provided, the same being pivotally connected in operative manner between the transversely extending rear frame member 5 and suitable connections 4| at the top of the rearward wall of the tank.

The top of the tank 2 is provided with an opening 50 through which the concrete or other material is introduced. Surrounding this opening 50 is a continuous vertically extending flange 52, theupper surface of which is provided with a gasket 54.

The portable concrete placer of the present invention is provided with an effective closure means for permitting the efficient introduction of concrete or other material through the opening 56 and the retention thereof against escape at this point by the action of the compressed air which is utilized to force the same through the spout 30. Toward these ends, I preferably utilize the closure and actuating mechanism which is described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,227,712, dated January 7, 1941.

More specifically, this closure and actuating mechanism comprises a cover member 55 which is adapted to seat on the gasket 54 on the upper surface of the continuous flange 52. Formed on the cover member 55 are a pair of yoke members 56 through which there extends a strongback arm 51. This strong-back arm 5'! rests on pads 58 which are suitably secured to the cover member 55, the upper and outer ends of the said strong-back arm being provided with camming or wedge-shaped surfaces 59.

A bearing lug 66 is formed rearwardly of the yoke members 56, and through it there extends a piston rod 61, one end of which is connected to the piston 62 of an air cylinder 63. The other end of the piston rod 6! is connected to a wedge 65 which passes under the strong-back arm 51 for a purpose which will be later described.

Mounted atop the tank or container 2 are a pair of longitudinally extending and parallel angle bars 65 which, together, form a guideway for the cover member 55 when it is retracted from disposition over the opening 56. When the cover member 55 is moved to closed position, compressed air is supplied to the forward end of the air cylinder 63, and the piston 62 is moved toward the opening 50 in the tank 2.

A spring 68 is interposed between the bearing lug 60 and a nut 69 on the outer end of the pis ton rod 6|, this spring being maintained under sufiicient compression to push the cover member 55 rearwardly in its guideway when the piston moves in this direction. Excessive movement of the cover member 55 with respect to the rearward end of the tank 2 is prevented by a stop lug l0.

A vertically extending bracket TI is disposed at opposite sides of the tank 2 immediately adjacent the opening 55, and each of these brackets is provided with an inwardly facing lug I2. As the cover member 55 reaches closing position, the camming or wedge-shaped surfaces 59 of the strong-back arm 51 move under the lugs 12, and these cooperating contact surfaces tend to force the cover member 55 downwardly against the gasket 54. However, the piston 62 will continue its movement toward the rear of the tank 2 after engagement between the camming or wedgeshaped surfacs 59 of the strong-back arm 51: and the wedge 55 which is carried on the rear ward end of the piston rod 6| will move under the strong-back arm and apply further downward pressure to force the cover member 55 against the gasket 54.

The strong-back arm 5! carries a vertical adjusting screw M and the wedge 65 engages its lower end. By means of this vertical adjusting screw 14, gradual wear on the gasket 54, wedge 65, and other parts of the mechanism may be compensated.

When the cover member 55 is to be moved to open position, compressed air is admitted to the rearward end of the air cylinder 63, and initially the wedge 65 is pulled from under the strongback arm 51. At this point the wedge 65 engages the bearing lug 60; and, as the piston 62 continues to travel in this direction, the cover member 55 is pulled into contact with camming surfaces 16 at the beginning of the angle bars 66, whereupon it will be raised sufiiciently to clear the gasket 54 and relieve the latter of excess wear.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Portable placing apparatus of the character described comprising an elongate wheeled truck including a pair of parallel longitudinal frame members connected by a horizontal end member at right angles thereto, an elongate horizontally disposed tank pivotally mounted on said longitudinal frame members at a point approximately one-third the distance from the front end thereof and adapted to be tilted in a vertical plane longitudinally of said wheeled truck, said tank being provided with front and rear end closure members and having a feed opening, a pressure-resistant closure for said feed opening, a discharge spout disposed adjacent the bottom of the front end closure member of said tank and extending upwardly therefrom, a valve for said discharge spout, a plurality of pipes disposed adjacent the bottom of said tank and extending thereinto from the rear end thereof, said pipes being progressively shorter according to their elevation, means disposed exteriorly of said tank and connected with each of said pipes to move the material within said tank toward the front end thereof and through said discharge spout, and means for raising the rear end of said tank, said wheeled truck being adapted to receive a portion of the front end of said tank when said tank is in a tilted position, whereby the discharge spout may be horizontally disposed adjacent the plane of the surface which supports the wheeled truck.

2. Portable placing apparatus of the character described comprising an elongate wheeled truck including a pair of parallel longitudinal frame members connected by a horizontal end member at right angles thereto, an elongate horizontally disposed tank pivotally mounted on said longitudinal frame members at a point approximately one-third the distance from the front end thereof and adapted to be tilted in a vertical plane longitudinally of said wheeled truck, said tank having a feed opening and being provided with front and rear end closure members and having a feed opening, a pressure-resistant closure for said feed opening, a discharge spout disposed adjacent the bottom of the front end closure member of said tank said discharge spout extending upwardly at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal, a valve for said discharge spout, a plurality of pipes disposed ad jacent the bottom of said tank and extending thereinto from the rear end thereof, said pipes being progressively shorter according to their elevation, means disposed exteriorly of said tank and connected with each of said pipes to move the material within said tank toward the front end thereof and through said discharge spout, and means for raising the rear end of said tank, said wheeled truck being adapted to receive a portion of the front end of said tank when said tank is tilted to a position which is approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal, whereby the dischargespout may be horizontally disposed adjacent the plane of the surface which supports the wheeled truck.

3. Portable placing apparatus of the character described comprising an elongate wheeled truck including a longitudinally extending frame, an elongate horizontally disposed tank pivotally mounted on said longitudinally extending frame at a point approximately one-third the distance from the front end thereof and adapted to be tilted in a vertical plane longitudinally of said wheeled truck, said tank being provided with front and rear end closure members and having a feed opening, a pressure-resistant closure for said feed opening, a discharge spout disposed adjacent the bottom of the front end closure member of said tank and extending upwardly therefrom, avalve for said discharge spout, a plurality of pipes disposed adjacent the bottom of said tank and extending thereinto from the rear end thereof, said pipes being progressively shorter according to their elevation, means disposed exteriorly of said tank and connected with each of said pipes to move the material Within said tank toward the front end thereof and through said discharge spout, and means for raising the rear end of said tank, said wheeled truck being adapted to receive a portion of the front end of said tank when said tank is in a tilted position, whereby the discharge spout may be horizontally disposed adjacent the plane of the surface which supports the wheeled truck.

4. Portable placing apparatus of the character described comprising an elongate wheeled truck including a longitudinally extending frame, an elongate horizontally disposed tank pivotally mounted on said longitudinally extending frame at a point approximately one-third the distance from the front end thereof and adapted to be tilted in a vertical plane longitudinall of said wheeled truck, said tank having a feed opening and being provided with front and rear end closure members and having a feed opening, a pressure-resistant closure for said feed opening, a discharge spout disposed adjacent the bottom of the front end closure member of said tank said discharge spout extending upwardly at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal, a valve for said discharge spout, a plurality of pipes disposed adjacent the bottom of said tank and extending thereinto from the rear end thereof, said pipes being progressively shorter according to their elevation, means disposed exteriorly of said tank and connected with each of said pipes to move the material within said tank toward the front end thereof and through said discharge spout, and means for raising the rear end of said tank, said wheeled truck being adapted to receive a portion of the front end of said tank when said tank is tilted to a position which is approximately 30 with respect to the horizontal, whereby the discharge spout may be horizontally disposed adjacent the plane of the surface which supports the wheeled truck.

ROY C. HACKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,465,665 Grindle Aug. 21, 1923 1,619,297 Hackley Mar. 1, 1927 1,653,631 Kirkland Dec. 27, 1927 1,778,100 Webb Oct. 14, 1930 1,911,514 Kernan May 30, 1933 2,183,813 Howard et a1 Dec. 19, 1939 

